Dating scams and how to avoid them

We just finished watching Netflix’s new documentary The Tinder Swindler and like most of the world, we were left pretty shaken up. It got us thinking; Valentines Day is coming up and online dating swipes are rising, so we thought we’d give you some tips to avoid romance scams ?

1. Scammers tend to ask you a lot of questions about you and tell you 0% about themselves. Cute right? Nope. This is to learn more about your financial status and background so that they can extort, blackmail and scam you for all your worth. 

1. Beware of love-bombing: If someone you just met online is going through great lengths to shower you with gifts, compliments and just seems too good to be true – they most likely are. These are tactics used to gain your trust and make you feel more comfortable around them.

1. Ever met someone online, arranged a time & place to meet and then something on their end came up as to why they couldn’t make it? And then that happened like, five more times? Yeah, red flag – RUN – because you’re likely being catfished.

1. A sneaky lil’ trick that fraudsters use to get your info is to try and leave the dating app asap so they can get your email, mobile number & socials. Sharing this info too quickly is a no-no (unless you’re using YEO, obviously). 

1. Can’t believe that we even have to say this, but NEVER share your personal info with someone you have just met online. This means stuff like your banking details, location, passwords… 

1. Basically, proceed with caution when meeting people online. Yes, stranger danger IS a thing… Trust your intuition and get to know people before opening up too quickly. 

1. If you or someone you know is being scammed, contact the FTC (USA) or Action Fraud (United Kingdom) and check out their websites for more resources. Happy, *SAFE* dating!